The Smallest Warrior
by Asher the Fox
Summary: Flintfang fought back tears. Badgerpaw should not have died today. Nor should the many other kits who were sentenced to death in this fight. Flintfang knew what he had to do, for Badgerpaw's sake...


**Okay, I was once again thinking about poor little Badgerpaw this morning, so I decided to write this little fic! =) Please enjoy and tell me what you thought of it. Part of the oneshot is already what was said in the book, but I decided to include it anyways. ^^ I don't own that part of the story, so don't sue me!**

Warning: very sad )=

Disclaimer- I don't own warriors, Erin Hunters do. BE grateful I don't ;)

OoO

...Badgerpaw's eyes flickered. "Flintfang? Is that you?"

Flintfang's heart sank. "Yes, it's me."

"Was...was I good enough?" Badgerpaw rasped in a tiny voice. His paws shifted in the dust and a bead of blood appeared at the corner of his lip. "I tried to remember everything you taught me."

Flintfang stared at the battered little body. Badgerpaw hadn't stood a chance from the moment the first battle yowl split the air.

"I hope Brokenstar is proud of me," Badgerpaw went on. His eyes were clouding over and starting to close. "And my mom."

Flintfang felt something stir inside him. What was he going to tell Fernshade? That her kit was always going to die in this battle because he was too small, too weak?

"Fernshade will be very proud of you," He meowed.

Badgerpaw opened his eyes with an effort and looked straight at Flintfang. "Are you proud of me?"

Flintfang crouched beside Badgerpaw and stroked the apprentice's eyelids with the tip of his tail to close them again. "You fought brilliantly." He murmured.

"Will you be alright without me?" Badgerpaw asked fretfully. He moved his head and the trickle of blood coming from his ear thickened, spilling out faster.

"We'll do our best," Flintfang replied gravely. "And we'll always remember you and how brave you were."

Was it his imagination, or did the tiny black and white chest swell with pride?

"Do...do you think StarClan will make me a warrior now?"

Flintfang swallowed hard; there seemed to be a stone wedged in his throat. "I'm sure they will."

"What will my name be?" Badgerpaw wondered, his voice growing even fainter.

"I expect they'll let you chose your own name." Flintfang replied. The lump in his throat was making it hard to speak.

"I'd like to be called Badgerfang. Like you, because you were such a great mentor."

Flintfang leaned forward and rested his muzzle on top of his apprentice's head. "That is a great honor. Badgerfang is a very good name for a warrior." He could feel Badgerpaw's breaths coming quicker now, his flank hardly raising as he fought for air. "You will watch over us from StarClan for all the moons to come." Badgerpaw let out a tiny sigh, and his flank stilled.

Flintfang straightened up. "This was not your time to die. For as long as I live, I will honor the warrior code and will not train another kit who should still be at his mother's belly. Go now, little one, and walk with warriors..."

Fighting back tears, Flintfang gently reached down once more and carefully picked up Badgerpaw by his scruff. Anger surged through him when he saw how pathetic the little warrior looked dangling from his jaws. It was Brokenstar's fault that his apprentice had died, but he knew very well that he would be blamed for it.

By now the battle had ended, and Flintfang could see the last of the WindClan warriors fleeing in the distance. He never had gotten to avenge his apprentice, but none of that seemed to matter right now. Flintfang knew what he had to do, for Badgerpaw's sake and for all of the other kits sentenced to death in this fight.

Flintfang looked around him for a minute just to see where his clanmates were. Stumpytail was walking alongside Nightpelt, who was whispering something in Nightpelt's ear. Both cats were staring at him, but he ignored their stares and stepped over the border into ShadowClan territory. Brokenstar must already be back at camp.

Flintfang's paws felt wet beneath him as ususal. He spotted a mouse, and was half tempted to hunt it, but then remembered he had a duty to perform for Badgerpaw's sake.

At last, Flintfang reached the camp entrance. He paused for a moment, staring down at the lifeless body of Badgerpaw once more before taking the first step into his camp.

Gasps filled the camp as he padded in and carefully set the black and white apprentice down right in the center of it. But before he knew it, Fernshade was right beside him in a heartbeat.

"No...no! Not Badgerpaw!" She wailed pressing her nose deep into his fluffy kit fur, which was stained with dried blood.

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't do anything to help him. He was already on his way to join StarClan." Flintfang bowed his head as guilt surged through him. "But...but he wanted you to be proud of him, he told me that himself before he died."

Fernshade looked up at him. He eyes were brimming with tears. "Oh Flintfang...I-" but the queen was interrupted by Brokenstar's mew.

"What is all this commotion all about?" He snarled at Flintfang, who felt his anger and frustration rise by the second.

"IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, MY APPRENTICE IS DEAD!" He yowled right in his leader's face, tears falling from his own eyes now. "AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Leaping at Brokenstar, he bowled right into the great big tabby will all of his force. He was going to make Brokenstar pay for ruining Badgerpaw's life.

Brokenstar leap right back up to his massive paws, and swiped Flintfang away. "How dare you challenge me like that? You let him die, you ungrateful heap of fox-dung! You were his mentor, you were supposed to protect him! I should have you slaughtered for attacking your leader, but because we need warriors to train new kits, I'll let you live." Brokenstar sneered right in his face, his hot breath nearly suffocating him.

"No." came Flintfang's quiet mew, which was shaking with rage.

"What did you say?" Cats gasped all around the clearing at Flintfang's defiance.

"I said no! I will NOT train another kit unless they are six moons old. I will honor the warrior code, even if you won't! And you can kill me for all I care, at least I'll go to StarClan as an honorable warrior instead of a heartless leader who can't give a mousetail about the safety of his clanmates!" Flintfang hissed right in Brokenstar's face.

Brokenstar raked his claws down Flintfang's face but the warrior didn't even yowl out in pain. He just stood there, calmly determined to stand his ground.

"You'll be an easy kill, even easier than a kit!" Brokenstar scoffed, leaping on Flintfang, who still refused to move.

"Flintfang!" He heard Fernshade's cry from beside Badgerpaw's limp form.

"No one can save you now." his leader whispered sinisterly in his ear. Without waiting for an answer, the massive tom raked his claws all the way down Flintfang's flank on both sides, his claws and paws dripping with blood.

Brokentar backed off of Flintfang, who was lying there, his flank still heaving with struggled breaths. He glared at his Clan and snarled, "You see? This is what happens to traitors like this piece of fox dung!"

All of the cats in the clearing shrank back, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief. Brokenstar sneered and pounced up the giant rock that lead to his den.

Flintfang coughed up blood, his whole head was spinning but he felt strangely calm. Is this what it felt like to die?

"Flintfang...?" came Fernshade's tentative whisper. "T-Thank you F-Flintfang, for e-everything you h-have done for m-me and Badgerpaw."

Flintfang managed to look up into her eyes and rasp, "I...I...only did what had to be done." He closed his eyes and felt the queen's gently tongue licking him between his ears, like she would a kit.

"Stay strong Fernshade, for Badgerpaw..." He meowed, his breathing slowing up. "ShadowClan will...will be great one day once...once again..." He whispered, and his eyes closed for the last time as his shallow breaths came to a halt.

Flintfang's eyes snapped open again to see his ghostly spirit rising, and he caught one last look at his camp below, where Runningnose had now come out to prepare the bodies for vigil.

_Goodbye ShadowClan..._

He closed his eyes and let himself be lifted upwards, right past the clouds. Flintfang hoped when he did reach StarClan, that Badgerpaw would be there waiting for him, with his cheerful smile and optimistic spirit restored.

There was a bright flash of white light, and Flintfang found himself by the most beautiful waterfall. It flowed smoothly into a small pool with stars gleaming at the water's surface. Padding right over to the pool, Flintfang looked at his reflection to see that his dull gray fur was shiny and sleek once again. Stars glimmered in his fur.

"Flintfang!" He heard a cry behind him as a familiar black and white bundle threw himself onto the newest member of StarClan. Badgerpaw pushed his nose deep into Flintfang's fur, his warm amber eyes shining once more.

"Badgerpaw, I-"

"Oh, thank you Flintfang! For everything you have done for me, my mother and the Clan. They are fueled by your honor of what is right.  
Cats are plotting now to get rid of their terrible leader. A new revloution begins in ShadowClan!" Badgerpaw exclaimed to his mentor.

"Yes Badgerpaw...a bright new dawn will shine upon ShadowClan, and we'll always be there to watch it..." Putting his tail over the young apprentice's shoulder, the two cats; mentor and apprentice, padded away into the sunset of StarClan, reunited once more.

Finally, finally, Flintfang was free.

OoO

Thank you so much for reading!

xAsher


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